Swiss German University goes wireless<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Situation normal in most universities across the country: The
\nstudents enter the lecture theaters with bags on their shoulders
\nfull of books and papers. In the tutorial rooms, they use pens
\nand paper to take notes of what their lecturers say. In breaks
\nthey form groups and chat to each other on campus parks or are
\nfound in the university computer rooms searching the internet.<\/p>\n
However, for well-heeled students at the Swiss German
\nUniversity (SGU) in Serpong, Tangerang, Banten things are about
\nto change starting in August this year, as a result of the
\ninstitute's ambitious plan to go completely online.<\/p>\n
High-tech portable tablet PCs will replace pens and paper in
\nlecture theaters. In the campus parks, students via a wireless
\nconnection will be able to use their tablets to find more
\ninformation about the topics discussed during classes, send e-
\nmails to friends or even submit examination papers to their
\nlecturers.<\/p>\n
\"Wireless technology will become standard in the campus. We
\nwill start it in August this year,\" unversity rector Prof. Dr.
\nPeter Pscheid said in an interview with The Jakarta Post
\nrecently.<\/p>\n
The computer room will no longer be needed, as the entire
\nuniversity will be connected, with university students and
\nlecturers able to access the internet from any corner of the
\ncampus using their tablets.<\/p>\n
The SGU has signed a cooperation agreement with computer
\nproducer Hewlett Packard, under which all students and lecturers
\nwill be able to buy tablet PCs from the company at a discount
\nprice. Currently, the university that started operation in 2000
\nhas about 700 students and dozens of lecturers.<\/p>\n
Most of the students graduated from several exclusive private
\nhigh schools of the country, such as Jakarta's Santa Ursula,
\nPangudi Luhur, Al Azhar and Lab Schools.<\/p>\n
Pscheid, who was former rector of the Institute of Technology
\nSt Gallen in Switzerland, is confident the students would not
\nfind it difficult to adjust to the university's new system.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, many of our students already have their own PC
\ntablets. So there will be no difficulty applying the wireless
\ntechnology,\" Pscheid said.<\/p>\n
He said that the implementation of the system was expected to
\nimprove the results of the education at the university, but would
\nalso depend on whether the students were willing to avail
\nthemselves of the new system.<\/p>\n
\"So the responsibility is now on the students,\" Pscheid said.<\/p>\n
The SGU will be among the few universities in Indonesia to
\nimplement wireless technology.<\/p>\n
Located in the BSD City housing estate in Serpong, the SGU has
\nfour faculties: Information Technology, Engineering, Business
\nAdministration and Life Sciences.<\/p>\n
The university, which is sponsored by the governments and
\nprivate sectors of Germany, Austria, Swiss and Indonesia, is the
\nfirst in the country to conform to European standards.<\/p>\n
Fifty percent of the university's lecturers are foreigners
\nwhile the remaining are Indonesians who got their PhD or masters
\ndegrees from foreign universities.<\/p>\n
The university's curriculum is based on the German model with
\nstudents receiving not only theory but also balanced practical
\nexperiences. The students will attend internship programs in
\ncompanies at home and abroad, such as in Germany.<\/p>\n
SGU's bachelor's and masters' degree students have an
\nopportunity to continue their education in Germany after two
\nyears of studying at the university.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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